Hey there!
I’m a solo dev working on a sci-fi grand strategy game (I didn’t manage to find if self-promo is allowed so I’ll keep the name for myself).
I was updating my planning and started to think: since my game will be published on Steam, it will be playable on Linux using Compatibility Mode even if I don’t specifically target Linux itself. I myself play on an Ubuntu and this allows me to play almost every Windows game (old ones are more capricious, but recent ones are ok).
So I’m wondering, is there really an advantage to have native Linux support nowadays? As a solo dev, the thing I lack the most is time. The days/weeks/months it would take me to add it and fix all the probable bugs it entails could be used to improve the game itself or add features instead for example.
On a more general note, what do you other Linux players expect from a Linux game?
Speaking purely for myself: native clients are ALWAYS preferred and appreciated… however as an indie, I would totally understand not wanting to commit to building one.
As a middle ground you could just accept bug reports from Linux users and do what you can to fix those issues. Aim for a platinum rating on Proton DB
eta: Also, yes, as others have pointed out, this assumes the native client is maintained